2017 Will Be Green!

2017 Will Be Green!

by Amy Lignor

This statement is not a “hopeful” imagination talking; it is actually quite true. Very recently the Pantone Color Institute declared that green will most definitely be THE color for 2017. This is a company that calls themselves the “global color authority,” and states that everything from high fashion to trends will be on the green path throughout next year.

So…when we look at a “green” trend that is all about saving the planet: who do you think will be the leader when it comes to jumping on the “green” machine in 2017? Right now, it seems that the well-known company, Google, is looking at changing the times completely and finding a brand new “clean” way in which to run their business.

For those unaware of the facts and statistics, it seems that Google in the last year consumed as much energy as the entire city of San Francisco. When they came out with a recent statement, they did not proclaim that they were “cutting” these statistics, they actually proclaimed that all of the energy Google uses in 2017 to run its data centers located around the world will come entirely from renewable energy sources: wind farms and solar panels.

Google is the epitome of an online giant. They are also a bit of a quiet giant, seeing as that they have over the past decade – without building up media fanfare – made deals (extremely large deals) with renewable energy producers. Google has basically guaranteed these producers that they will buy their energy from them which then, in turn, will allow these renewable energy companies the money to build even more turbines to service the country.

Unlike carbon-based power, wind supply prices do not fluctuate, which will allow Google to make even more money by helping the planet, itself. Are they the only mega-company doing this? Not at all. But Google’s large computer centers are among the world’s fastest-growing new consumers of electricity. And by working with wind farms, Google hopes that they will increase the development of the renewable energy industry. With their purchase, Google’s huge deal will also lower the costs of both solar and wind energy, allowing them to look better to other companies because they will save them money in the long run.

It did not take long for Facebook and Amazon to step up to the plate after Google made their announcement. Facebook has already entered into similar deals with wind producers, and Amazon has announced five more solar projects on their horizon. Microsoft states that it has been 100% carbon neutral for the last two years. This means they have invested in things like planting trees and other projects meant to compensate for the fossil fuels a company eats up. Microsoft hopes to have at least 50% of its electric power supplied from renewable sources by 2018.

Is this all a gimmick, as some have stated? Well…Google certainly has had an imagination when it comes to alternative energy in the past. It was in 2007, Google patented an idea to build a floating data center powered by waves, and nothing else. Although a cool idea, it was never built. However, Google has shown proof of the renewable deals now in place, and has never wavered in its commitment to bring the best energy efficiency to its data centers.

From business and industry to fashion to politics, it seems that “green” will most definitely be at the center of many projects in 2017. In the next year, people will hear a great deal about “The Paris Agreement” which is now in force. Germany is closing all its nuclear power plants, so the need for investing in renewable, clean energy sources will grow almost overnight.

If things keep moving forward the way they are, 2017 may just go down in history as being the glorious year dedicated to all the good things “green” stands for!

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